Toy locomotive



J. H. HAMMOND, JR

TOY LOCOMOTIVE Original Filed Jan. 6,

atented Nov. 13, W24.

isisi TOY LOCOMOTIVE.

Application filed. January 6, 1920, Serial No. 849,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN HAYs HAMMoNn, J12, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of Gloucester, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of the present inven tion are to provide means'for automatically changing the speed of a moving body; to provide mechanism whereby the speed of a moving body may be changed at a predetermined point or points; to provide means for automatically shifting a gear transmission from high to low speed when a moving body ascends or is about to ascend an incline; to provide means for automatically shifting a gear transmission from low to high speed when a moving body reaches a level after ascending an incline; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a miniature railway equipped with the apparatus embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a transverse section of a locomotive and track showing one form of the present invention; Fig. 3 represents a plan of one forinof track equipment employed with the present inven ion; and Fig. 4 represents a section on line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a locomotive 16 or other suitablebody arranged to be pro pelled under ed upon a track 11 which includes in its length an upwardly inclined portion 12 in order to direct the locomotive 10 to a new level 13. In the present form of the invention it is preferred to consider the device as a toy railroad and the track 11 is arranged to simulate an ordinary railroad track having difierent levels caused by hills or the natural irregularities of the land.

In order to propel the locomotive 10 it is equipped with driven wheels 14 running respectively upon rails 15 and driven through the medium of an axle 16 which is common to both of the wheels 14, and suitably geared to a source of power such as a motor 17, of any suitable type.

For transmitting power from the motor 17 to the axle 16, the motor 17 has a driving shaft 20, keyed to which is a gear 21 in mesh its own power is shown mount 7 Renewed February 23, 1924.

with a gear 22 fast to a countershaft 23 which is rotatably mounted at opposite ends in the wheel truck frame 24. This countershaft 23 has fixed thereto a gear 25 arranged to mesh with a gear 26 which is mechanically connected to transmit motion to the axle 16. For the purpose of changing the speed of the axle 16 according to requirements, such as to produce high speed under normal track conditions and slow speed under conditions where a maximum energy is necessary, the gear 26 is fast to a sleeve 30 which is slidably mounted on the axle 16 but prevented from relative turning action by a key 31 arranged in the usual manner. This sleeve 30 also carries a gear 32 fast thereon having a diameter preferably greater than the diameter of the gear 26 and in mesh with a gear 33 fast to the countershaft 23. The gear 33 is preferably of less diameter than the gear 25 while the axial distance between the gears 25. and 33 is difi'erent from the distance, axially considered, of the gears 26 and 32. The arrangement is such that when the sleeve 30 is in one operative position the gears 25 and 26 are in mesh and the gears 32 and 33 are outof mesh, while in the second operative position of the sleeve 30 the gears 25 and 26 are out of mesh and the gears 32 and 33 are in mesh. Thus when the gears 25 and 26 are in mesh the high speed transmission will be effective and when the gears 32 and 33 are in mesh the low speed transmission will be effective.

In order to shift the sleeve 30 from high speed position to low speed position and vice versa, it is provided with a circumferentially slotted part 34 arranged to receive the bifurcated end 35 of a lever 36 which is pivoted intermediate its ends as indicated at 37 to the frame 24. The construction is such that the lever 36 has a free end or arm 40 extending toward the track 11 and terminating in relatively close proximity thereto. Thus by shifting tion or the other about its pivot 37, the sleeve 30 is moved in the desired manner.

For holding the lever 36 in either of its shifted positions the arm 40 passes, in the present instance, between two spaced 1nem here 41 of spring material which are properly located to frictionally hold the arm 40 through the medium of hangers 42 suspended from the frame 24. The spring or clip members 41 are suitably shaped to provide seats for the arm 40, in either of which the lever 36 in one direc-".

. to a bed plate 44- having downwardly turned sidefianges 45 of suitable spring material and'fare arranged to fit between the track rails 15 with a wedge action to hold the plate'e l firmly in position. "Inyorder to prevent endwise movement of theplate 44:, due to the trip 40, striking a ramp .rail 43,a plurality of transverse depending ribs-'45 are provided which are properly spaced to interfit with the ties 46 or othencross pieces of the track structure. For the purpose of equalizing the side thrust the'car, caused-by the trip 40 striking'aramp rail 43, there is a guard rail 47 fixed-to the plate 4A in such close proximity to the side edge as to form an abutment parallel to one track rail 15 with sufficient clear- .ance.-.for the wheel flange to pass freely. As a result any side thrust transmitted to the'car, by the action of the ramp rail 43 shifting the trip A0, is taken up by the guard' rail' et7'and the danger of the car leaving the track is eliminated.

Fromthe foregoing it will be evident that.

the l-r'amp rail structure is removable and eachplatefl t may be taken up and placed at any "desired-place to change thespeed of the moving vehicle. Thus at the bottom of a grade,"-one of the ramp'rails 43 may be positionedto cause the gears to be shifted to low' speed,- while another ramp rail 43 may be place'di-at the ,top of the incline to restore the' gears-to high speed. In case of a curve the'n amprails43 may be placed as desired at the-beginning and end of the curve to give, a slow speed on the curve and a return to l-'1ig'h s'peed after the curve is passed. Further theramp rail'structure is reversible so that 'i-t'ca'n be used for either direction of travelio-f the car.

"" Although, only one of the many forms in which-thisinvention may be embodied has been shownherein, it is to be understood thatfthe invention is not limited to any specific-construction, but might be applied in variousiformswithout departing from the spiri-tyof the invention or the scope of the appended-claims.

Hav'ing'thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In a-toy, the combination of a movable body, "a-tracktherefor, means to propel said body along said track, and'means including a track device for mechanically changing the speed of said propelling'means.

2. In 'a'toy, the combination of a movable body, a track therefor, means including a high gear mechanism and a low, gear mechanism for propelling said body along said track, and means automatically operable to shift said propelling means from one gear another, and means secured to said track for operating said speed changing means.

l. In a toy, the combinatlon of a movable body, a track therefor, means including v'eriable speed mechanism for propelling said body along said track, a sleeve slidably' mounted and arranged to control said speed mechanism, a lever connected to said sleeve, and means located on said track in the path of said lever for changing said variable, speed mechanism from one speed to another. p

5. In a toy, the combination of a movable body, a track therefor, means including high gear mechanism and ajlow' gear mecli- :99

anism for propelling said body along-said track, means to shift said propelling means M rom one speed to another, anda plurality 1 of means fixed to said track for respectively operatmg said shifting means from speed to low speed and from low speed to" high speed.

6. In a toy, the combination ofa movable body, a track therefor, means including a i'r-o high gear mechanism and a low gearmechanism for respectively propelling saidbody along said track, a trip arranged to shift said propelling means from one speed to another, and a plurality of ramp rails arranged to be removably secured to'said track in the path of movement of said. track.

7. In a toy, the combination of a movffu, able body, a track therefor, means. including a high gear mechanism anda low gear meclp,

anism for respectively propelling said body along said track, a trip arranged to shift said propelling means from one speedto 1; another, a plurahty of ramp rails arranged path of movei'nent of said'track, and means U to prevent said body jumping the track through lateral thrust of said trip. f

8. In a toy, the combination of a pair of track rails, a plate arranged to fit between rails.

,to be removably secured to said track in the 9. In a toy, thecombination of a'pai'r of l track rails, a plate arranged to fit betweenv said track rails, a ramp rail fixed to said plate, ties for said rails, means to removably secure said plate to said rails, and means to interlock said plate with said ties.

10. In a toy locomotive, the combination of a movable body, a track therefor having an inclined portion, means including a high ear mechanism and a 10W gear mechanism l0! respectively propelling said body along said track, a trip arranged to shift said propelling means, a ramp rail at the bottom of said incline arranged to cooperate with said trip to change from the high gear to the low gear mechanism, and a second ramp rail at the top of said incline to shift said 10 tri to change said propelling means back to igh gear.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 2 day of J annary 1920.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, Jr. 

